Lift us up where we belong

For the second time, I took on the brutal course known as The Alpaca Race on Hisingen. Designed to mimic the elevation profile of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, each loop is officially 10.6 kilometres (though actually a bit longer) with over 600 metres of elevation gain. Five loops mean 55 kilometres of running and more than 3,000 metres of climbing.

Taking bus 17 from Munkebäckstorget shortly before 6 am, I met up with the 12 other runners attempting the five-loop version. Seven others had already been out on the course since the night before, trying to complete ten loops. Of those, only one man would ultimately make it. No woman has yet completed ten loops, which probably says a lot about how tough this course is. When the gun went off, I felt strong after a recovery week with only a few dozen kilometres logged. I completed the first loop in 1 hour and 47 minutes, with my quads still able to absorb the downhills. By the third loop, though, they were already sore. My spirits were lifted briefly when Eddie made a surprise appearance, handing me a Huel energy bar.

Throughout the course, signs marked with alpacas offer encouragement – or mockery – depending on your state of mind. Phrases like “What you don’t have in your legs, you need to have in your head”, “Giddy up”, and “Lift us up where we belong” greet you at critical points, especially when yet another brutal climb begins just after a soul-destroying descent.

Each loop includes two super-technical segments where you are basically scrambling. Rain during the first two hours made the rocks slick, though they eventually dried out as the day wore on. With the 12-hour cutoff looming, I pushed myself hard on the final loop. Even so, it took 2 hours and 46 minutes – but I made it, crossing the finish line with just 13 minutes to spare.